COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY

The sophisticated jazz-rock masterpiece 'Countdown to Ecstasy' was released in July of 1973, serving as Steely Dan's second studio album. In reality, any tag to this album would be improper, as it is a cross-genre work, that goes through not only jazz but also rock, pop, prog, blues and the avant-garde. It is hard to define Steely Dan as a band, we must say, as they never really had a lineup, except for the combined talents of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, and producer Gary Katz, who was also an important part of the Steely Dan idea; This musical project is more of an ideal, an aesthetic, a 'happening', if you will.

'Countdown to Ecstasy' continues, or even prolongs, the musical explorations of 'Thrill', the band's (calling them a band would be easier, of course) debut album, but at the same time it expands the very sophisticated and elegant cross-genre style that they were clearly going after, with the crisp production, the ingenious melodies, the erudite and quite often cryptic lyrical content, the stark subtlety in the music; all features that can be both pondered upon and thoroughly enjoyed, and I believe few have achieved this healthy amalgamation of sophisticated, erudite music, and accessibility. This could allow us, I believe, to place Donald Fagen in the same category as musicians like Frank Zappa, David Bowie, John Lennon, you name them; the game-changers, as some often call them.

Not a single dull or tedious second of this very carefully crafted collection of eight songs, each one being a fascinating entity of its own; Except Fagen and Becker, 'Countdown' also sees the talents of Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter on electric guitars, Denny Dias on guitars, and Jim Hodder on drums and percussion, as well as a cast of other guest musicians appearing on some of the songs. Needless to mention how good the songs are, each one particularly impressive on its own, with some favorites including 'Bodhisattva', 'The Boston Rag', 'Your Gold Teeth', 'Show Biz Kids', 'King of the World', but really, every single song is so outrageously good, that it becomes absurd. It has to be noted that the lyrics on 'Countdown' are even more compelling than the ones on the debut album; It seems like this time Fagen is more ironic, more self-conscious maybe, and more critical in his observations, which include society, personality, and disappearing values.

An excellent trip inside the heads of two geniuses, 'Countdown to Ecstasy' is the first very grandiose achievement of 'Steely Dan'; Definitely an improvement over 'Can't Buy a Thrill' with the more mature, yet more adventurous sound; a crystal-clear sonic explosion from beginning to end, this record will hardly get anyone tired of listening to it, and I believe it has deservedly been praised from fans and critics alike. Essential is the word that fits it best.